GANAPATHI VATTAM TEMPLE SULTHAN BATHERY

Sultan Bathery was previously known as Ganapathy Vattom because of the presence of the Ganapathy temple. I studied my Pre Degree in this town, which offered the only course in science at that time in Wayanad DT. I visited the Temple 2- 3 times only but felt the historical strenth there.

During the time of Kulashekara(an Indian dynasty ruling over parts of Kerala from 9th to 12th century) this place was the temple is situated was known as Purakizha. Some believe that the kings of Purakizha completed the construction of the temple. Later the temple was in the hands of the rulers of Kottayam It is believed that Tipu destroyed the Temple and used the stones for building a Fort. After that the name of the place was changed into Sultan Bathery. The remains or site of this fort is non exist now. Please note that this is must be an another fort,not the Jain temple as popularly believed by local people.

The chief deity is Ganapathi facing east. The Upadevatas are Baghavathi,Ayyappan, Nagaraja and Shiva. The temple flag is hoisted on the 15th of the Malayalam month of ‘Makaram’ and the temple festival is conducted for 6 days. To get plenty of rain, ‘Abhishekam with water’ was performed.

Unfortunatly I have no good photos of this temple in presently. Yhe location of The temple shows its importance and influences in Bathery town.

Legends and Myth:

This is a melancholy chapter to a Hindu who has faith in Ganapathi, son of Siva. When he sees that his image is mutilated and his temple ruined, he feels that divine beings with divine powers have, like human beings, their own seasons of adversity which they cannot avoid. An arrow from a huntsman’s bow was the immediate cause of Sri Krishna’s death or rather disappearance from the world and all must bow to fate, and the Ganapathi at whose shrine every inhabitant within a radius of about 12 miles prays, suffered the indignity of the mutilation of his idol which, as a visible and tangible symbol to the ignorant, had been placed in the temple to represent him.

Ganapathi Vattam the sphere of the Ganapathi, covered the amsams of Kidanganad, Nulpuzha and Nenmeni and when Tippu of Mysore overran the country, his troops destroyed the temple and mutilated the granite idol. The town then took the name of Sultan’s Battery and the Moslem town of that name sprung up at the time. In spite of these misfortunes, Ganapathi’s influence has not waned. The Wynadan Chetti, the Mulla Kurumben and the Pathiyan of the three villages named above still believe in him. They have their local godsand goddesses at their own centres but Ganapathi is the overlord who is propitiated by offerings at certain seasons of the year. Who knows whether Tippu Sultan did not suffer for the Blasphemy ? That he repented to a certain extent at least is proved by the grant of lands to the Temple free of tax, and this no doubt is a satisfaction. His career of destruction was brought to an end not very long after by the avenging Christian who was considerate in dealing with the Hindu faith and who confirmed and continued the Inam (free of assessment) grant of lands made by Tippu. The tolerant Hindu thanks both for this consideration. The legendary history of this temple is unknown, but its reputation as one of the famous temples of Wynad deserves at least this small note.